This bill amends and reenacts RCW 43.79.195 to create the "workforce education investment account" in the state treasury and requires that all revenues from the workforce investment surcharge (RCW 82.04.299) and the revenues specified in RCW 82.04.290(2)(c) be deposited directly into that account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account are limited to higher education programs, higher education operations, higher education compensation, state‑funded student aid programs, and workforce development including "career connected learning" as defined in RCW 28C.30.020. The bill expressly requires that expenditures supplement, and not supplant, any other federal, state, or local funds appropriated or allocated for higher education, and the legislature affirms that appropriations from this account are intended to provide additional, enhanced, and expanded support rather than replace existing or projected funding obligations. The bill also references and reenacts related session law citations (2025 c 424 s 951 and 2025 c 58 s 3010) and was read for the first time on 01/22/26 and referred to the Committee on Ways & Means. The excerpt shows deletions of an exception that previously applied in the 2025‑2027 fiscal biennium and a legislative intent statement about 2027‑2029, but the fuller prior language and context for those deletions are not included in the provided facts.

If enacted, the bill creates a new state treasury account that will receive specific revenues from the workforce investment surcharge and a related revenue source, and those deposits must be used only for higher education programs and operations, higher education pay, state student aid, and workforce development (including career connected learning). Money in the account cannot be spent automatically; the Legislature must appropriate it, and any spending must add to existing federal, state, or local higher education funding rather than replace those funds. The people and entities most affected are higher education institutions, students who receive state aid, workforce development programs, and the state treasury and Legislature. Institutions and programs could get additional money for expanded services, pay, or student aid, but they cannot assume it will replace current budgets and will depend on legislative appropriation timing and amounts. Important details about exactly which surcharge revenues are included and the definition of career connected learning are not provided in the facts here, so the total revenue available and some eligibility questions remain unclear.